


Six Weeks at Medical Ward Six

by Linisen



Series: BINGO for the 18+ On Ice Discord Server [8]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hospitalization, M/M, Nursefic, Sickfic, Skater!Victor, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Victor being a fever high dork, nurse!yuuri, who needs praise, with a very cute nurse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-30 20:51:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21146444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linisen/pseuds/Linisen
Summary: “Are you an angel?” Victor asks and Yuuri already knows he's not surviving this, that he’s going to develop cardiac symptoms as well and will have to be admitted for treatment by his colleagues. It will be terribly embarrassing.“I’m not,” Yuuri says with a smile, pushing Victor’s soft hair carefully away. Victor hums at the touch, and Yuuri’s heart does another flip. “I’m Yuuri and I’m your nurse, and you’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”or. World Champion figure skater Victor Nikiforov trains when having a sore throat which leads to endocarditis. He's admitted to the hospital with high fever and met the cutest nurse in the world. They're both complete dorks about it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and welcome to my eight piece for the 18+ on Ice Discord server event ‘BINGO’. The event contains of each participant getting a bingo card and then create as much content as they want for the prompts on it. My goal is to make a fic for all 25 squares in the card and you can find the rest of my fics for the event [here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1482800) and for all for all of the participants at this [collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/18OI_Bingober_2019). A huge thank you to [Bearixt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bearixt/pseuds/Bearixt) for setting this up. Coming up with all the ideas have been so much fun, and it’s been great brainstorming them in the server with all you lovely people there. I adore all of you. 
> 
> The prompt that inspired this piece was 'amnesia' and I got scared to death when I saw it bc I don't read amnesia fics, and i've never planed on writing one. They make me so incredibly sad, and as a person who's worked a lot with people with dementia the meer idea of Yuuri or Victor forgetting each other breaks my heart. So, here's a sick fic where Victor has temporary memory loss dure to fever and Yuuri being a flustered nurse who's also a fan and has to deal with it. I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> A huge thank you to [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for helong with doing the beta. I don't know what I'd do without you <3.

Yuuri thinks it’s going to be a regular shift. He sees no reason to doubt it’s going to. He’d been working the evening shift the night before, and as much as he wanted to see the short program of the skating competition at Worlds, that had been airing during the hours he worked, he’d been exhausted when he got home. He’d fallen into bed instead, only to be woken by the alarm on his phone seven hours later to drag himself back to the hospital for a day shift. He pulls on the familiar dark blue scrubs in the locker room, leaving his own clothes in the locked locker before placing the pencil case in his breast pocket. He clips his nametag on his neckline as he pushes his feet into slippers, and makes his way to the elevator. Other care personal is waiting for it too, and they make tired small talk as they get on, getting off on each floor. Yuuri works at the top one in the small hospital, the sixth medical ward, specialized in heart and blood diseases. 

Yuuri yawns as he walks into the the still dimly lit ward. Most of the patients are probably still asleep, and he’s therefore quiet as he turns into the personal room to dispose his lunchbox, grabbing a cup of tea before he exits. He grabs his notepad from his lock box, exchanging it for his phone, before he heads for the nurse station. Ji is already there, looking far too happy for someone who should be exhausted after working the entire night. 

“Good morning, Yuuri,” he greets with a quick look up from the computer and a soft smile. 

“Morning,” Yuuri yawns, sitting down on one of the office chairs in the small office, glancing over at the computer. Outside of the booth another nurse, Phichit, walks by. Yuuri waves towards him and Phichit greets him back with a smile, before continuing to the other nurses station to get a report on the other side of the ward. “How was the night?” 

“Good,” Ji says as he continues to type, filling in an admissions template in the patient journal. “Two new admissions, one here and one on the other side. Nothing too big.” 

“Did Anna calm down?” Yuuri asks, remembering the anxiety ridden patient he sat with last night. She’d been worried about a coming procedure, and Yuuri had done his best to calm her, listen to her worries and give her the information he could. He’d felt like they had a good conversation, but she still seemed slightly upset when he left.

“Yeah, I gave her a sleeping pill at eleven and then she was out like a light. Hopefully they’ll have time to do the operation today,” Ji says, typing some more before he turns to Yuuri, grabbing his own cup from the desk. “Were you able to sleep?”

“Yeah,” Yuuri says. He’d been asleep even before his head hit the pillow, even if he continued to dream about the ward. It was always hard working evening shift and then morning. All you did was go home and sleep, and most of the time if felt like you hadn’t left at all. “Missed the skating competition though, so I’ll have to catch it tomorrow.” 

“Oh, that reminds me!” Ji says, picking up his notepad, clicking the computer a few times before he opens a newly admitted patient’s journal. Yuuri sees the name before Ji says it, a cold shiver runs down his spine as he recognizes it instantly. “We had a skater admitted last night! The moment the E.R told me I thought ‘Yuuri’s going to freak!’. Do you know who it is?” 

“Y-yeah,” Yuuri says on a breath, staring at the name of his longtime crush on the screen, a name he never expected to see on a patient journal. Dread pools in his gut. If Victor Nikiforov has been admitted to their ward, something serious must have happened. A top athlete, in prime shape and young age, rarely gets admitted for heart problems. To Yuuri’s knowledge, Victor doesn’t have any illnesses affecting his heart, it’s certainly nothing he’s talked about in interviews. “What happened?”

“They’re not completely sure yet, since they haven’t had time to get all the blood samples back yet, but their suspicion is infectious endocarditis.”

Yuuri’s stomach drops once more, eyes wide as he turns to Ji with jaw slightly slack. Ji gives a sympathetic look, brows furrowed and mouth twisted. “It must be awful. He was very upset when I went to get him, and he fell asleep soon after I placed him in his room. His coach was here for a bit, but he didn’t stay long. Apparently he had other skaters competing this weekend.”

“Did they tell him?” Yuuri asks. Infectious endocarditis is rare in young people, but when it does happen it’s often in those with high levels of physical activity, those pushing themselves harder than their bodies allow. Most of the time it’s a person who’s done conditional training while having a sore throat, and a bacteria travels down to the heart muscle, causing an infection. It’s a serious condition, which can cause severe heart damage if untreated and ignored. In young it’s fairly easily treated, even if it is a long term intravenous antibiotics treatment three times a day for six weeks, meaning the patient has to stay at the hospital during that entire time, having to take it very easy. 

“They didn’t tell him the specifics. From what the initial blood work showed he clearly has a bacterial infection, so they put him on a wide spectra antibiotcum that I disconnected after it was finished. It’s scheduled for the wards regular times at two am, ten am and five pm,” Ji tells him, and Yuuri feels slightly relieved by that, knowing they’ve already started treatment.

“How high is his fever?” Yuuri inquires and Ji pulls out his chart to start going over the specifics. Victor’s fever was incredibly high when he came into the E.R after his coach found him and brought him in. After being given paracetamol through a peripheral vein catheter it had dropped to an acceptable level. That with the newly discovered murmur on his heart had led to the preliminary suspicion of endocarditis. The doctor on the E.R had sent him up, and now he’s Yuuri’s patient. Yuuri’s stomach flips uncomfortably by the thought of treating someone he admires so, someone he’s watched countless competitions of, someone he may have a minor, major, crush on. Phichit is never letting him live this down. 

Yuuri and Ji go through the rest of the patients, and Yuuri writes down the small updates of how the night has been before he sends Ji home, wishing him a good day of sleep. He starts his day like he usually does then, helping the first patients up from bed, giving them medication and breakfast. He moves methodically through his rooms, until there’s only one room left to enter, the rest of his patients taken care off. Yuuri takes a deep breath, and knocks twice on the half open door, before pushing in. 

It’s a standard patients room, walls white and bare, a single bed in the middle of the room. On it lies a patient, sleeping. Yuuri’s done this countless times, but everything feels so different now. Victor’s sleeping on his side, pale lashes fanned over high cheekbones. There’s a flush on his cheeks and Yuuri suspects from the small drops of sweat that Victor’s fever must have risen again. He takes a deep breath, trying to be as professional as he can. Victor deserves good care, and should not be affected by Yuuri’s own admiration. 

“Victor,” Yuuri calls softly as he steps up to the bed, crouching down slightly to be at eye level with Victor’s face. He truly is beautiful. This close he can see freckles on the bridge of his nose he didn’t know he had. Even in this sick state he’s breathtaking. How many times has Yuuri thought about them meeting? Countless. He never expected their paths to cross like this. 

Victor doesn't stir, so Yuuri carefully places a hand on Victor’s forehead, skin warm and damp. “Victor,” he calls again, and Victor’s eyes flutter open, blue dimmed and gaze hazy. Yuuri can tell immediately that he needs more medication, even if he does need to take Victor’s temperature to make sure. “Hi, I’m Yuuri and I’m a nurse. How are you feeling?”

“Mmh,” Victor says, eyes feeling almost glued on Yuuri’s face. “Pretty.” 

Yuuri feels his cheeks flush with embarrassment at the word, which he must have heard wrong, his stupid imagination playing tricks on him. “I think your fever might have risen again, I’m going to take your temperature by swiping this across your forehead,” Yuuri holds up the thermometer but Victor doesn’t look at it, eyes still on Yuuri. Yuuri bites his lip nervously, dropping Victor’s gaze to look down at the machine, starting it. “I’m just going to move this back and forth over your forehead a few times,” Yuuri informs as it starts up, giving Victor a reassuring smile. 

“Are you an angel?” Victor asks and Yuuri already knows he's not surviving this, that he’s going to develop cardiac symptoms as well and will have to be admitted for treatment by his colleagues. It will be terribly embarrassing. 

“I’m not,” Yuuri says with a smile, pushing Victor’s soft hair carefully away. Victor hums at the touch, and Yuuri’s heart does another flip. “I’m Yuuri and I’m your nurse, and you’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”

“Noo,” Victor drags out, and Yuuri tries to smile reassuringly, even if he feels like any minute now Victor will see how much Yuuri’s fawned over him for years. “Don’t remember,” Victor states. Yuuri can see his skin prickle, and a frown forms on his face as he hurries to move the thermometer over Victor’s slightly sweat damp forehead. “M’ cold.” 

“I understand that,” Yuuri says, the thermometer beeping and showing a rising fever again. Yuuri knows Dr. Muramoto has ordered more paracetamol if the fever rises over 40C, which it definitely has. “Your temperature has risen, so I’m just going to give you some medicine through this tube in your arm.” 

“Can’t you come warm me up instead? You look cuddly,” Victor says, blue eyes so pleading and wonderfully beautiful. Yuuri can hardly focus as he nervously licks his lips. It’s not like patients haven’t flirted with him before, and he usually finds it fairly easy to ignore, but none of those were this gorgeous however, and none of them were Victor NIkiforov. 

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri says and for once he means it. Even if it would be strangely awkward to crawl into a patient's bed, he’s had fantasies of curling up next to Victor for years. Strong arms wrapped around his waist, or with his forehead resting between Victor's shoulder blades. Still, this is just the fever talking, and as soon as it lowers Victor will stop making these silly requests. “I’m not allowed to.”

Victor frowns at that, scrunching up his nose adorably. Yuuri can’t help but smile, heart fluttering. Yep, definitely getting admitted.

“Not fair,” Victor pouts and Yuuri’s taken aback by how different this Victor is from the one he’s seen in the media, just the fever as well? Yuuri’s not sure.

“I know,” Yuuri agrees, meaning it a little too much. “I’m going to go prepare the medicine and then I’ll be right back.”

“‘Kaay,” Victor agrees with a smile. “I’ll be waiting.” 

Yuuri gives one last, hopefully reassuring, smile, before he hurries out of the room. His heart is racing as he hurries to the medicine room, trying to make sense of his scattered mind. Victor Nikiforov is in the hospital, and he’s Yuuri’s patient, and he just asked Yuuri to get into bed with him. This must be a dream. Yuuri fell asleep as he was driving home from his evening shift and is now sedated on an operating table, having hallucinatory dreams because of the anesthetics. It’s the only explanation. 

The door to the medicine room is open, and Yuuri knows what that means, even if he’s not sure if he’s grateful or horrified. Still, he can’t hold off on going in there. Victor needs the antipyretic and Yuuri’s the one who’s in charge of giving it. Even if it means he has to deal with his best friend. 

As suspected, Phichit is already in there, mixing antibiotics. Yuuri needs to start his own batch of antibiotics infusions as well, as soon as he’s done with his current task. 

“Good morning, Yuuri,” Phichit greets with a sing song voice. “Did you get home late last night?”

“No, it was fine,” Yuuri admits, moving to the shelves containing the drugs, finding the infusion bag with paracetamol easily. Yuuri’s worked at the ward for five years, he knows his way around by now. “I heard you had a busy day-shift yesterday, but it calmed down during the evening, I had time to eat and everything.” 

“Oh, fancy,” Phichit says with a smile, opening the tap for the infusion device to let the antibiotics fill the tube. He glances over at Yuuri who cleans a workbench, placing the bag on it before starting to get his own equipment. “Who’s that for?”

Yuuri’s heart jumps slightly, nerves on end as he fumbles with the equipment. He finds his footing quickly, clearing his throat as he continues to prepare the IV. 

“New patient with endocarditis,” Yuuri tells him as he connects the IV tube to the medicine bag. 

“Oh, that’s rough. Guess we’ll get to know them pretty well,” Phichit remarks and Yuuri’s heart flips, taking deep breaths to not tremble as he holds the bag up to fill the tube. He’s trying very hard not to think about the fact that he’s probably going to see Victor every work shift for the coming month and a half. It’s too much to process. “Any heart diseases in the medical history?”

“No,” Yuuri reveals, seeing that Phichit is done with preparing the antibiotics. “Perfectly healthy. Athlete.” 

“Oh that sucks, are they angry?” Phichit asks with a sympathetic expression, moving towards the door.

“Too fever affected right now,” Yuuri answers, nodding towards the medicine. “Hence the paracetamol.” 

“Right,” Phichit say with a smile. “See you later then.” 

Yuuri lets out a sigh of relief when his friend leaves the room, heart hammering in his chest. This day is not good for his cardiac health. He finished preparing, making sure to close the door to the medicine room now that it’s empty, before he heads into Victor’s room again. He breaks into a wide smile when Yuuri comes into view, and Yuuri’s heart jumps at the sight. 

“My angeeel,” Victor coos. “You came back.” 

Yuuri has to chuckle, the whole situation so completely absurd. “I told you I would, didn't I?” Yuuri answers, hanging the bag on the designated hook at the top of the headboard. 

“You did,” Victor sighs. “But I still missed you.” 

“We’ll I’m here now,” Yuuri says, pulling up a chair so he can sit down and work. He manages to flush the catheter in Victor’s arm, and then connects the IV, making sure it drips in a good pace. Victor continues to watch him with awe stuck eyes, and Yuuri can feel himself blush under the attention, heart still racing. 

“It will be about fifteen minutes before it’s all gotten into your system, and then I’ll be back to give you antibiotics instead, okay?” 

“Okay,” Victor agrees with a lopsided smile, and Yuuri mourns the fact that soon that will be gone, when the fever breaks. “See you soon.” 

Yuuri goes out and manages to give his other patients a look through, mixing antibiotics to two of them, and one for Victor. He hangs the other patients first, making small talk to them about this and that, only going back when they’re satisfied with the attention. He goes back to Victor’s room when he’s done, almost thirty minutes having passed. He knocks on the door carefully, earning a ‘come in’, before he pushes it open. Victor looks less pale now, but his cheeks still has a bit of a rose tinted flush. 

“Hi,” Yuuri greets. “Are you feeling better?” He glances up at the bag, seeing that all of the contents have gone into Victor’s body. 

“Hi Yuuri,” Victor says, and the first time he says Yuuri’s name makes his heart jump, slamming against his rib cage. “A little better, yes.” 

“Good, good,” Yuuri says, hanging the new bag of antibiotics on the IV bag hook. “This is the antibiotics, I think they might have told you last night that you need to have it due to a bacterial infection, do you remember?” 

“Not really, it’s all very hazy,” Victor admits and Yuuri nods in understanding, disconnecting the old IV in favour of the new. “I thought I only had a cold and then it got worse. Do you know how I got here?”

“I wasn't here myself,” Yuuri admits, counting the drops of this IV as well, to make sure the medicine doesn’t enter Victor’s body too quickly. “But my colleague said your coach brought you in after finding you passed out in your hotel room.” 

“Oh,” Victor says, a puzzled expression on his face. “Do you know if I had my phone with me?” 

“I’ll check,” Yuuri answers, done with his counting, to turn to the locker where they usually place the patients belongings. He finds Victor’s training clothes, the red and white olympic jacket Yuuri knows so well, and a bag of valuables. He fishes Victor’s phone out of it, and hands it over carefully. Their fingers brush as he does, and Yuuri’s heart jumps again. This can’t be healthy. 

“Thank you,” Victor says, releasing a sigh when looking down at it. 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Yuuri says, seeing a frown form on Victor’s face as he glances down. On the screen Yuuri can see countless notifications. “I’ll be back with the doctor in a little bit. Please use the red button if you need anything or wondering about anything.”

“Yeah,” Victor says, a bit distracted by his phone. Yuuri moves to leave but Victor’s voice calls his attention back, turning to lock eyes with him. “Thank you again, Yuuri.” 

For a moment Yuuri feels pinned under that gaze, as if time stops and all there is, is some sort of connection between them, sizzling and almost tangible. Yuuri’s never felt anything like it before.    
“No trouble at all,” Yuuri rushes out with a nod when he manages to take a full breath, exiting the room with his heart pounding in his chest. 

Dr. Muramoto is a fairly young physician who Yuuri has a good working relationship with. She’s open and honest about her thoughts and ideas, but always listens to the nurses information and ideas. Phichit has rounds first, and then she comes over to Yuuri’s stationas he’s documenting what he’s done and talked with the patients about during the morning. She greets him politely as he sits down, and they go through the patients one by one. The last of the bloodwork they took from Victor on the E.R comes back, and they both sigh as it seems endocarditis continues to be the most plausible diagnosis. An ultrasound will confirm it, and Dr. Muramoto books it for that afternoon. 

They make their way around the patient rooms, giving happy and less so news. Some get to go home, treated and well, and others get more exams and new treatments. Yuuri’s treated most of them for a few days, and knows how to adjust and fill in Dr. Muramoto’s information to fit their level. The patients all seem fairly happy, and it’s a weight off Yuuri’s shoulder as they come over to Victor's room. They both take a deep breath before entering, aware that this conversation won’t be easy. 

It isn’t. 

Yakov Feltsman has arrived to hear the verdict, and Dr. Muramoto starts to explain their suspicion and what that means. Six weeks of hospitalisation, to refrain from heavy workouts a month after that. Yakov Feltsman grows more agitated with every piece of information the doctor delivers, while Victor grows more pale. Yuuri aches for him, wishes to go over and comfort him. He doesn’t. With some patients he might, but they don’t have that type of relationship yet. There’s a sour atmosphere in the room when they’re done, and Yuuri feels conflicted in if he wants to stay or desperately wants to leave. When they walk out into the hallway again, Dr. Muromoto lets out a deep sigh and shakes her head.    
“That was more intense than anticipated,” she admits. “Make sure he’s down in the exam room by two?” 

“Yeah. I will,” Yuurri agrees, making his way back to the nurses station when they part. If Yakov wasn’t there, he’d probably turned back and talked to Victor about how he’s feeling, but even from a few meters away in the cubical Yuuri can hear Yakov's baritone voice echoing in the room. Yuuri, as a skating fan, knows that Yakov’s known to be ruthless, but to see the way he acted in there, the way he went off on both the doctor and on Victor. Yuuri shudders as he sits down, trying to remind himself that as health care personnel he’s supposed to support the loved ones of his patients as well. He glances down at the clock, deciding that if Yakov’s still raging in there in ten minutes, he’s going to go there and tell him to leave. Victor’s his patient and his recovery is Yuuri’s top priority. 

He turns towards the computer to start to document the round, when someone all but attacks him. The door to the nurses station closes with a loud bang, and Yuuri looks up startled at the person who’s flung themselves at him on the other rolling chair.

“YUURIHOWCOULDYOUNOTTELLMEYOUHAVEVICTORASAPATIENT!” Phichit shouts, and Yuuri’s so surprised it takes him a moment to process his words, blinking as he tries to stop his heart from hammering up his throat form the start. He’s definitely not strong enough to handle this.

“Phichit, you scared the crap out of me,” Yuuri breathes, shaking his head as he rolls away slightly, as much as the small space allows. 

“That’s not an answer to my question Yuuri,” Phichit presses, rolling a little closer. “Your long time crush is in the ward needing care and you didn’t tell me?”

“I knew you were going to jump me like you just did and I would have liked to be spared the heart attack, thank you,” Yuuri says, narrowing his eyes at his friend. Phcihit rolls his eyes, folding his arms over his chest for a moment, before his facade breaks and he leans forward again, ball of excitement as always. 

“Never mind that, how is he?” Phichit says with a wide smile, wiggling his eyebrows. It’s Yuuri’s turn to roll his eyes this time. 

“Sick, you know, like most people coming here.”

“Booo,” Phichit says and rolls back a little but seems to relax, understanding the meaning of Yuuri’s words. “I’m sorry, it can’t be easy for you, to see him like that. I know you’ve followed his career for a long time.”

Yuuri thinks of Victor’s flushed cheeks and his feverdim eyes, of his loopside smile and easy praise. He feels himself grow warm by the memory, realising it’s not hard to see Victor as weak at all. It’s not as if Yuuri would have wished this, or ever hoped for Victor to become ill or hurt, but it makes him more human, and it unfortunately fuels Yuuri’s crush even more. Seeing him as beaten down as he was after rounds though, that had been hard. Phichit is still looking at him, expecting an answer, but Yuuri’s attention is pulled elsewhere.

“Yeah sure,” he agrees half heartedly, straining his ears to try to make out if Yakov’s still shourting. He can’t hear anything, and hopes things have cooled down in there. 

“You feel weird about taking care of him?” Phichit asks. His voice is softer now and Yuuri glances back at him, meeting his best friends kind gaze. “We can trade patients from tomorrow if you’re uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine,” Yuuri says, and he means it too. It might be a bit strange, but he’s not uncomfortable, and truth is he might worry more if he can’t take care of Victor himself. 

“If you say so,” Phichit says, pulling his keys and work phone from his pocket. “I’m going to lunch.” He hands over the belongings and Yuuri takes them, placing them in his own pockets. 

“Alright, see you in the switch.” 

Phichit’s lunch break passes in the blink of an eye, and soon it’s Yuuri’s turn to go eat. After almost breathing in the lunchbox, he lays down on one of the couches, going into his favorite news sites to see what’s being said in the skating community. The world championship is still going, and everyone seems to be speculating what the ruling world champion’s mysterious ‘health reasons’ are. One suggestion is crazier than the next, and Yuuri soon finds himself exiting the news app on his phone with a deep sigh, not wanting to be part of that kind of gossip, even as a reader. 

When he comes back from his break it’s time to take Victor down for the ultrasound of his heart, and Yuuri stays throughout it to give support. Phichit had things under control on the ward, and Yuuri feels better being able to be there when his patients go through exams. 

Victor’s pale and his eyes keep flickering from Yuuri to the screen and to the doctor, and then back again. Yakov’s in the exam room too, and a part of Yuuri really wishes he weren’t. Usually, loved ones center patients, but Yakov seems to make Victor more nervous instead. Dr. Muramoto explain everything she does, and Yuuri tries to look as comforting as he can as he fills in what she misses, soft smile on his face turned towards Victor. It only takes a few minutes, twenty at most, before she can confirm the initial diagnosis. Victor nods in understanding and Yakov’s jaw tenses, vein on his forehead pulsating. Yuuri has a hard time taking his eyes of Victor, still worried about how he’s feeling.

Yuuri pushes Victor’s bed out of the exam room and into the elevator, up to the top floor. The walk is tense and quiet, and Yuuri doesn’t know what to fill it with, what to say. They arrive up to the ward again, and Yuuri places Victor’s bed like it was before the exam. 

“Press the red button if you need anything okay?” is all Yuuri can bring himself to say. Victor looks at him for a long moment, and Yuuri considers reaching out and placing his hand over Victor’s in comfort, but Yakov is looking at him with a stern look, and it’s making Yuuri highly uncomfortable. 

“Okay. Thank you,” Victor says softly and Yuuri nods, taking a step back before he gives a weak smile, stepping out of the room completely.

The evening personnel has come while he was away, and he sits down to give Hauru a report on each of the patients, his colleague nodding along as he takes notes. They spend extra time on Victor, since he’s a new admittance, and Yuuri goes through all the facts from him coming to the E.R until the set diagnosis this afternoon. Yuuri’s own heart aches but he says nothing. When they’re done he considers going back into Victor’s room once more, but he doesn’t know why. Things feel unfinished, like there’s more Yuuri should have done but didn’t. 

“Ready to go?” Phichit calls, bringing Yuuri from his own mind. He nods slowly, turning away from the door to Victor’s room to go grab his own things. 

* * *

Yuuri comes in for his evening shift the next day with a sense of urgency. He’s been thinking about Victor the entire afternoon yesterday, and all day today. He wishes he’d comforted him better, even with Yakov there, and that he’d thrown Yakov out sooner than to let him act like that.

He takes rapport like yesterday, this time Hauru giving him the information than the other way around. Victor’s been down, his colleague explains, and says he hasn’t been able to get through to him. Yuuri’s heart twinges but he nods, scribbling the information down. Two of the rooms are empty, so if they don’t get any new admittences from the E.R it should be a fairly slow night. 

Yuuri prepares the evening meds, hands out the trays of evening meals together with the ordered medications and makes small talk to all the patients as he does. Victor’s alone today, and he lights up when Yuuri enters the room, eyes bright as Yuuri puts down the tray of surely tasteless food. When all the trays are back in the cart and rolled out for the kitchen to come get, the rest of the patients quiet and the ward dimply lit, Yuuri slips into Victor’s room. The man is sitting in his bed, a book open on his lap. He looks up as the door clicks shut, and smiles as he sees Yuuri, placing a bookmark between the pages before he closes the book.

“Good evening Yuuri,” he says. His fever seems to be in check now, and Yuuri gave him paracetamol in pill form this evening instead of the IV, a good sign of progress. 

“I just wanted to check on you,” Yuuri admits, walking a little closer. Victor places the book on the nightstand as Yuuri stops by the bed, smiling a hopefully comforting smile. “I felt like I didn’t have time to talk to you about everything yesterday. Have you had any thoughts or questions since the exam?” 

Victor frowns and releases a breath, shoulders slumping slightly. He glances up at Yuuri and then away. “Do you have time to stay a bit?” Victor asks and Yuuri nods, even if Victor can’t see him. “I don’t want to keep you-,”

“You’re not,” Yuuri promises, sitting down at the side of the bed. Victor turns to look at him then, and his blue eyes are swimming with emotions. Yuuri’s stomach turns into knots, and he feels his heart sink as the first tear runs down Victor’s face. 

“I’m very afraid,” Victor admits in a hushed whispered voice, and this time Yuuri can’t stop himself, reaching out and placing his hand over Victor’s in support. They sit in silence only for a moment, before Yuuri speaks.

“I can’t even imagine,” Yuuri admits, voice so low it’s almost a whisper, because it’s true. He’s cared for countless patients, but he’s never been admitted to a hospital, being told that if he does what he’s good at, the best at, he might die, and that he almost did. “I’m so sorry.” A hiccups echoes between the walls, and Victor pulls in a shaky breath, tears continuing to stream down his face. 

“I feel so foolish. I know the team physician tells us not to train when sick, but I just thought ‘it’s just a sore throat’ and,” Victor trails off and shrugs his shoulders, letting out a breathy laugh as the tears continue to flow. 

“It’s not fair,” Yuuri confirms, even if Victor hasn’t out right said it. “You worked really hard for something, and then you had it snatched from you. You’re allowed to mourn that.” 

Victor nods, taking his free hand to wipe tears from his cheeks. He’s beautiful even as he cries. Yuuri’s never seen him do it before. A lot of skaters get emotional after they’ve performed, both good and bad skates, but Victor’s always collected and calm. 

“Did I tell you that I’m a skater?” Victor asks, probably to change the subject. Yuuri shakes his head, but smiles slightly. He can feel a blush spread across his cheeks but he keeps eye contact, even if he feels embarrassed. 

“You didn’t, but I knew. I know. I follow it,” Yuuri admits, hoping it won’t make Victor uncomfortable. It’s not like Yuuri’s about to admit about his inner fanboy and how his lock screen is a photo from Victor's free skate from last season. Victor looks at him, and then a smile form on his face, his eyes still red and cheeks wet. 

“And what do you think of my skating, Yuuri?” 

Yuuri tries to push down his blush as much as he can, feeling terribly called out even if Victor doesn’t know. He’s not completely sure how to answer. It would be easy to give a simple answer, to say he enjoys Victor's programs, to say he’s Yuuri’s favorite. Yuuri has thought about meeting Victor before, and has wondered what he might say. None of that comes to mind now. Instead he says what he first told Phichit when his friend asked what was so special about Victor. The same thing he feels every time he sees Victor skate.

“You skate in a way that makes motions show emotions more than words could ever,” Yuuri admits with a with a more level voice than he expected, heart rushing as he looks at Victor. Victor looks completely taken aback by Yuuri’s words, eyes wide and brows risen. He searches Yuuri’s face, and Yuuri wonders what he’s searching for, and if he finds it. Victor relaxes after a moment, and a soft smile, heart shaped and beautiful, forms on his lips.

“No one has ever described it like that,” Victor says softly and Yuuri’s cheeks feels like they’re on fire with how fast he starts to blush. His hand is still over Victor, and he’s just started considering pulling back when Victor turns his, cupping Yuuri’s hand to hold it. “Thank you.” 

It’s a bit of a rocky start to the continuation of the conversation, but after a while they fall into it. Victor talks about his worries a bit more, about missing Makka, about the pressure he was feeling to skate even though he was sick. It all pours out of him, as if he’d been waiting to find someone who would just listen. Yuuri does, heart swelling with fondness to be given this trust. 

Victor asks about him too, and Yuuri finds himself sharing much more than he usually does with patients. He talks about his own dog, but does not reveal that Vicchan is named after Victor. He tells him about video game nights with Phichit and how he lives alone. He gets so lost in the conversation that he forgets how much time passes, until his phone starts beeping with an alarm from another patient. He laughs, slightly embarrassed, and Victor beams. 

“I’ll go take care of them,” Yuuri says, hand sliding out of Victor’s as he stands, feeling his stomach flip as he realises they’ve held hands this entire time. “Beep me if you need something.”   
“I will,” Victor promises and Yuuri turns towards the door. “Yuuri,” he calls and Yuuri turns back, licking his lips nervously. “Come by before you leave?” 

“Alright,” Yuuri agrees, and then with flushing cheeks leaves the room. 

  
  


Going into work becomes much more fun after that. It’s not that Yuuri wasn’t enjoying his job before Victor became a patient there, but now it’s different. Every shift is a little easier to get through since he gets to spend some time with Victor. Even if it’s just the small moments when he’s hanging the antibiotics IV. They make small talk, and sometimes when they have more time, go into deeper subjects. Victor shows hims pictures of Makka and Yuuri sneaks his phone, that he’s not allowed to have in his scrubs, in to show photos of Vicchan. They laugh about news, or other caregivers working at the ward, and each day Victor looks less pale and exhausted. 

Yakov leaves after the first week. He’d been trying to manage a move for Victor, so he’d be able to continue his treatment from Russia instead, but without luck. The continuous need for intravenous antibiotics made it too unsafe if not using a helicopter, and no one seemed inclined to pay for that. So the coach leaves, having to deal with the end of the season with his other skaters. Yuuri asks Victor a few days later if he’s lonely, but Victor shrugs with a smile.

“I have you,” he says with a wink, and Yuuri’s heart stops for a moment, almost dropping the IV bag on the floor. 

Sometimes Yuuri walks with Victor too, around the ward at first, and then down the mostly empty hallway of the recipency. Victor grows tired fast in the first two weeks, and Yuuri can see him growing impatient, maybe even frightful. He tries to reassure Victor, even if he can see him not really believing Yuuri’s words. 

During week three some of Victor’s strength returns, and Yuuri laughs and grabs Victor’s hand one night to stop him from racing down the hall, claiming to have restless legs. Victor smiles beautifully and stops his sprint, but holds onto Yuuri’s hand anyway. Yuuri doesn’t pull away. 

Yuuri knows this is foolish, on so many accounts. He can feel himself falling more and more in love with Victor for each day that passes, falling deeper for that heart-shaped smile, those stormy eyes, that wonderful laugh. It’s foolish because it will never be anything more than this. Soon, Victor will return to Russia, to skate and to become world champion again. Yuuri will stay here, feeling hollow and cold, glancing at the room where a man he fell in love with once laid. It’s also dangerous. Yuuri’s not allowed to treat patients he has a relationship with, and could lose his job if he continues this. Still he can’t bring himself to stop, even if he might end up jobless and with a broken heart in just three more weeks. 

“Have you ever been to Russia?” Victor asks one evening when they’re playing cards. It’s another slow night, the fifth week of Victor's treatment. They’re playing cards, and Yuuri’s sitting in Victor’s bed, cross legged, looking over his options. 

“No,” Yuuri says with a sigh, placing an eight on Victor’s seven. “I haven’t traveled much. I studied straight out of High School, and then I started working here.”

“Would you like to?” Victor asks, placing his next card. Yuuri glances up. Victor’s biting his lips, looking at Yuuri with a nervous expression. Yuuri straightens, wondering suddenly if they’re actually talking about something else. 

“Go to Russia?” he asks and Victor shrugs with one shoulder, glancing down once before looking up at Yuuri again. 

“To travel, maybe to Russia,” Victor suggests and Yuuri smiles as he nods. He’d love too, but there are so many factors to consider. 

“I would,” he admits with a smile, continuing to place cards down on the flipped deck. “But I only have so many vacations days, and not that much money. I usually spend it to travel back home to see my family.” 

“To the hot springs?” Victor asks and Yuuri nods with a smile, remembering telling Victor about it a few weeks ago, showing pictures of his family as well as the onsen. Victor had gasped excitedly, claiming to want to visit one immediately. Quiet falls over them for a moment, and then Victor lets out a shaky breath. “Would you be very disappointed in me if I didn’t go back to skating?”

Dread of never seeing Victor skate again fills Yuuri’s stomach and he looks up at Victor in shock, meeting his wide and pleading eyes. Yuuri’s heart sinks in a second, feeling terribly selfish. He clears his throat, to makes sure his voice doesn't reveal his inner turmoil.

“I love watching you skate,” he admits, placing the next card in their game. “But I think it would break my heart more to have you force yourself to do something you don’t want to.” 

It’s a raw and honest admission, one displaying Yuuri’s emotions a little too much. He knows he’s in love with Victor, and with that comes the will for him to be happy, even if he doesn’t skate again. Victor lets out a sigh of relief, and Yuuri looks up to smile at him. 

It all happens so fast, one moment Yuuri’s looking into those pretty eyes and the next Victor’s hand is cupping his cheek so softly, bringing their faces together. Yuuri follows, almost on impulse, pressing closer until his lips finally mets Victor's. 

It’s a wonderful first kiss, sparks flying as Yuuri’s skin tingle. He drops his cards, placing his hands on the bed so he can press closer, needing more. Victor opens up first, and it’s slow and breathtaking as the kiss deepens. Yuuri’s heart is racing, and he wonders briefly if Victor’s is too. They separate slowly, eyes fluttering open to meet again, only to fall back into kissing. Yuuri feels dizzy with it, addicted almost. He longs to press closer and take more, but he doesn’t dare. He knows he’s being greedy, but it’s so hard not to, with Victor giving him things like this.

“Wow,” Victor breathes, and Yuuri nods in agreement, licking his lips. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you.” 

Yuuri shakes his head, wanting to retort that that’s his line, but he doesn’t. “You thought I was an angel when you first saw me,” he points out and Victor smiles, cupping Yuuri’s face with both hands.

“And my fever induced brain was right,” he kisses Yuuri’s lips softly again, once. “You are so lovely Yuuri I sometimes forget how to breathe.”

Yuuri lets out a breathy laugh, looking at Victor with his heart pounding in his chest. He never thought this would happen, never thought his feelings were reciprocated. This, this comes with a whole new set of problems. “What are we going to do?”

“I could stay,” Victor suggests, and Yuuri raises an eyebrow in question. “Or you could come with me?”

“To Russia?” Yuuri asks and Victor nods once. “To do what, be your trophy husband?” Yuuri jokes, laughter lacing his voice. Victor’s cheeks color crimson, and far too late, Yuuri realises what he actually said.

“Husband,” Victor eachos with a smile, eyes glittering and cheeks still flushed. “Wow, Yuuri so forward.” He leans into Yuuri again, pressing their lips together once more. “It’d be the best trophy I’d ever gotten.” 

Yuuri blushes even more at that, pressing his lips to Victor’s again. 

  
  


* * *

“Mom, Dad!” Yuuri calls as he steps through the door of his childhood home, putting down his bags. He lets go of Vicchan so the dog can run around freely, a bigger poodle on his heel as soon as he takes off towards the dining area. ”I’m home!” He reaches back and finds a hand in his, smiling as Victor's fingers laces with his. He turns and smiles, finding a nervous one on Victor’s face. He was discharged two weeks ago, and instead of going back to Russia he came home with Yuuri. It all seems like a dream, but Victor wanted to stay a few weeks at least, and Yuuri had been thrilled. It’s been the best two weeks of Yuuri’s life. Now, Victor’s cleared from the infectious endocarditis and can bathe in public baths, and Yuuri’s longing to show off the hot springs to his boyfriend, and his boyfriend to his family. 

“They’ll like me right?” Victor asks nervously for the fourth time, and Yuuri loves him so much he could burst. He kisses the side of Victor’s mouth, and smiles fondly. 

“They’d be insane not to.”

They haven’t figured it all out yet, and Yuuri would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried. Their connection has grown more in the last few weeks, and Yuuri’s sure he’s never felt for anyone what he feels for Victor. He knows that he wants to spend the rest of their lives together. They can figure out the rest along the way. 

“I love you,” Victor breathes as footsteps approach, kissing Yuuri softly once more, before they turn to face the Katuski family together.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Six months in apartment Six B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor was fairly sure he had never looked forward to anything as much as he did this. No gold medals, no championships, no sponsorships. As much as he had pushed and fought and soared through skating - nothing had felt quite like this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, some people wanted more of this AU, and Who and I to stand in their way?   
I hope you enjoy!

Victor was fairly sure he had never looked forward to anything as much as he did this. No gold medals, no championships, no sponsorships. As much as he had pushed and fought and soared through skating - nothing had felt quite like this. 

He had left Hasetsu a month ago, having spent a absolutely wonderful month before that at the onsen, soaking in the hot springs, getting to know Yuuri’s family and his hometown, as well as basically living in the green  _ jinbei _ Yu-topia provided. It was heavenly. It gave them both a chance to calm, to center and to talk about everything, mulling over Victor’s weeks in the hospital, their feelings for each other, and how to move forward. 

“One more season,” Victor had finally said one night, Yuuri pressed close to his side in the onsen, the heat from the water coloring their cheeks. “If I were to do one more, would you come with me?”

“What happens if I say no?” Yuuri had asked, and Victor had smiled and pushed Yuuri’s wet hair from his forehead, kissing the spot between his brows. 

“I’d retire,” Victor said, and Yuuri’s brows shot up towards his hairline. Victor chuckled, even as Yuuri sat up straighter and turned to look at him with wide eyes. 

“Are you asking me to make you choose between me and skating?” Yuuri asked, and Victor shook his head, cupping Yuuri’s cheeks. 

“Quite the opposite,” he said. “I’m telling you that being with you is more important for me than skating. I could go back for one more season, I would like to, but not at the expense of this relationship.”   
“Victor,” Yuuri had breathed, turning his head to press a kiss to the palm of his hand. “Give me a day to think about it?”

“Of course,” Victor had agreed, and then they had settled back against the edge again, falling quiet. He would give Yuuri the time he needed to decide. 

Two hours later Yuuri had told him that he wanted to come with Victor to Russia. 

They still had to separate for a while. Victor went from Hasetsu to St Petersburg directly, while Yuuri went back to ask for a temporary leave of absence from the hospital and to get his dog. It was torture waiting for Yuuri, the month of July draging as Vitcor slowly worked his way back to the ice. Yuuri needed a month before the hospital would let him go, and it also made it possible for him to get everything with Vicchan ready and to pack. 

Now it was finally August, and Victor was standing in the airport, his heart beating roughly against his chest as he looked at the door for the arrival’s gate. He worried his teeth over his lower lip, glancing up at the arrivals board before he looked back at the door. Yuuri’s flight had landed almost forty minutes ago, and while he had texted that he had gotten off the plane, Victor hadn’t heard anything for thirty minutes. He could only guess that customs was going through his paperwork thoroughly. It was probably not that common for someone to come and stay for such an extended period of time after all. 

Six months. 

Victor’s heart leapt in his chest. Yuuri had gotten six months off from his job, and he had been permitted a six month long Visa for staying in Russia, helped out by the FFKK. Sometimes being a national hero and a ‘living legend’ really had its perks. 

Victor looked back at the door, and then his heart all but stopped as he saw a familiar face step through it. Yuuri looked tired, and nervous, and he glanced around the arrival hall, clearly searching. Victor felt a wide smile break out on his face, and then he was moving forward, his goal set. 

Yuuri spotted him almost as soon as he started walking, and his face spread into a breathtaking smile, surely matching the one on Victor’s face. He hurried his steps, and Yuuri stopped, putting down the doggie carrier before his bags fell from his shoulder and hand, and then he was in Victor's arms -- warm, lovely, and real.

“Hi,” Yuuri breathed, his grip tight around Victor's waist as he pressed himself against Victor’s neck. 

“Hi Yuuri,” Victor answered, and Yuuri’s grip tightened ever more. Victor did the same, as if he was scared that if he wasn’t holding on tight enough Yuuri would slip from his embrace, and he would wake in his bed, alone and with his heart aching. Luckily, Yuuri didn’t, he held on too, breaths shuddering against Victor's skin as he stayed in the embrace. 

“I missed you so much,” Yuuri said, and Victor did push back then, just so he could look at him. Yuuri smiled, and Victor did too, his heart swelling in his chest at the sight of his love so close, so real. 

“I missed you too,” Victor answered, and then leaned down as Yuuri tilted his head up, to press their lips together in a soft kiss. It felt like reconnecting, and Victor sighed against Yuuri’s lips, wanting to stay there forever. 

“Mmh,” Yuuri hummed, and Victor pulled back to look at him again, finding his boyfriend smiling at him, opening his eyes slowly to meet Victor’s gaze. “I love kissing you.”

“I love you,” Victor said, and Yuuri’s eyes sparkled, as he leaned forward to peck his lips again, quick but soft. 

“I love you too.”

__________________________________

They carried Yuuri’s luggage to Victor’s car, letting Vicchan trot around the parking lot to stretch his legs before getting in the car and heading for Victor’s apartment. They spoke mostly of Yuuri’s flight and trip, and every time Victor turned to look at him his heart swelled. He could hardly believe he was there, for real in his car, having moved his entire life for him, for him to have it all. 

Victor was the luckiest person in the world. 

They arrived and parked in the garage, and took the elevator up to floor six. It was the top floor, and on it only Victor's and one other person lived. They stepped out, hauling out Vicchan’s carry as well as the suitcase and duffle bag, and then made their way to the door with the sign 6B next to it. 

“Here we are,” Victor said, and then pushed the door open, letting Yuuri and Vicchan in first. “Welcome.”

“Thank you,” Yuuri said, and just as soon as he did Makka appeared in the door to the hallway. “Oh. Vicchan, stay.” 

“Makka, sit,” Victor commanded, and Makka did, even as her paws trampled the floor, her tail wagging happily. Vicchan looked just as excited to greet the new dog, his small tail wagging as well. 

“She’s so pretty Victor,” Yuuri said, shrugging off his coat and kicking off his shoes before he approached the larger dog. 

“I agree, but I’m very biased,” Victor laughed, and Yuuri did too, reaching his hand out to let Makka greet him. 

“Such a good girl, aren’t you,” Yuuri cooed, and Makka panted happily, licking over his hand. “Thank you for letting us come live with you.” 

The dogs were allowed to greet each other next, and once they had calmed in doing that, Victor and Yuuri dragged Yuuri’s luggage into the bedroom. 

“Are you tired? Hungry?” Victor asked, and Yuuri turned from looking at the bed, meeting his gaze. 

“Yes,” he answered, and then they both laughed. It felt so good, as if the space felt warmer just from having Yuuri in it. Victor reached his hand out, and Yuuri took it, and followed him out into the kitchen. He sat Yuuri by the counter, and then made him a cup of tea before he started cooking. It was just a simple pasta dish, diet be damned, and they enjoyed it side by side by the kitchen island, the dogs having calmed in the living room once they released their begging for scraps amounted to nothing. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Victor said, since it seemed to be echoing through his mind over and over, everytime he looked at Yuuri. Yuuri leaned forward, placing his hands flat on Victor’s chest, and kissed him softly. 

“I am too,” he agreed, pulling back to sit more upright but keeping his hands on Victor’s chest. “I am very tired though.”

“Bed?” Victor laughed, and Yuuri nodded. He did look sleepy, and Victor didn’t blame him. He had been awake for almost twenty four hours at this point. Victor stood, and then picked Yuuri up from the chair, making Yuuri yelp as he wrapped his arms around Victor’s shoulders tightly. 

“Victor!” he gasped, and Victor laughed, carrying him into the on suite bathroom. He sat Yuuri down carefully on the heater tile floor, and then helped him with showing how the shower worked and where to find things. Yuuri tanked him, and then followed him out to rummage through his bag to grab his toiletries, before heading back into the bathroom. Victor really wanted to join him in the shower, but maybe it would be better to give Yuuri some privacy. 

They had months to shower together after all. 

The thought made Victor feel absolutely giddy, and he let it fuel him as he cleaned up from their meal, and then took the dogs out for a walk around the block. Vicchan and Makka seemed to be getting along well, and Victor was relieved. They were both good dogs, but you never knew, and it had been one of the things Victor had worried about the most about Yuuri coming here. 

They headed back up, and then Victor prepared a water and food bowl for them each, before turning the lights down in the apartment. He let the door be open a crack for the dogs to find their way in if they needed to, especially for Vicchan in case he got worried during the night. 

He could hear Yuuri fiddle in the bathroom, and changed out of his clothes. He usually slept in only his underwear, but he pulled on a set of pajama pants now, just so not to be too much for Yuuri. He really didn’t want to be too much.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Yuuri appeared in a set of pajamas as well, ones Victor was fairly sure he hadn’t seen before during the time they had spent together in Yuuri’s apartment. 

“Did it go okay?” he asked, and Yuuri stepped closer, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. It made butterflies flutter in Victor’s stomach. 

“It did, thank you,” Yuuri said softly, his body heavy against Victor’s. “I feel like I might pass out.”   
“Okay, under the covers with you,” Victor said, and followed Yuuri to the bed, holding up the comforter for him to slip in. “I took the dogs out, and fed them.”

“You’re an angel,” Yuuri hummed as he settled down in the bedding. Both of them smiled, the echo of the memory of their first meeting seeming to cross both of their minds. Victor still stood fully by what his fevered mind had said. Yuuri was definitely an angel. 

“I still think it’s the other way around,” Victor reassured him, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’ll just go brush my teeth and then I’ll be back.”   
“Good, hurry, I want to hold you,” Yuuri said, and Victor laughed, kissing him again before regretfully pushing back. 

He hurried to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth, washing his face and simply using moisturizer this evening, before coming back into the bedroom. Yuuri was on his side and turned towards the empty side, his eyes closed. Victor stopped to simply look for a moment, his heart pounding so hard in his chest. 

He was here. 

He was here and he had come for Victor.

The mere thought made shivers rush down Victor’s spine. 

He stepped around the bed, and then slipped under the covers too. The bed was cold on his side, and he pushed himself closer to Yuuri’s side. Yuuri’s eyes fluttered open, and then he reached out for Victor, one hand on his cheek, the other on his chest. Victor wrapped his hands around his waist and pulled him closer, and they slotted together so well, Yuuri pressed close to his chest as they both rested against the pillows. 

It was still early, but after all the anticipation and excitement the day had held, Victor was tired too, and soon Victor’s eyelids grew heavy as well, and he fell asleep with Yuuri’s soft breaths against his skin. 

__________________________

Victor woke from the bed dipping, and blinked up to see Yuuri slip under the covers again. He tried to get his eyes to focus, and Yuuri smiled, pressing close again. He felt cold, and Victor pressed closer, kissing Yuuri’s plush lips. They felt cool as well. 

“Have you been up long?” he asked, and Yuuri shook his head against his mouth, kissing him again. 

“Vicchan needed to go out,” he answered. “He woke me whining by the bed. I took them both just around the block.”

“You could have woken me,” Victor said, and Yuuri shook his head, kissing him again. 

“Didn’t want to wake you,” Yuuri said, and Victor held him close. He wasn't in his pajamas anymore, and Victor reveled in the way Yuuri’s skin felt under his hands as he slipped them up his back, and then caressed his way down. 

“Yuuri,” Victor breathed, and Yuuri hummed, pressing even closer. 

“You took so good care of me yesterday,” Yuuri said, and Victor moaned as Yuuri’s hand slipped down from the small of his back to his ass to squeeze outside of his pajama pants. “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Victor breathed, deepening the kiss as he rolled his hips into Yuuri’s groin. Yuuri moaned, rolling his hips in time with Victor’s movements. It was slow and steady, their kisses wet and slow as they let their hands explore each other's bodies. They had done this before, both when Victor stayed in Yuuri’s apartment after being discharged, loud and urgently, and in Hasetsu, quiet and gasping - clinging to each other desperately. 

It was different now too, as they stripped each other slowly. There was no urgency more than the once their bodies set. Before they had been on a short time limit, and had to fill it with as much of each other as they could. Now they had time. They hadn’t talked about what was going to happen after these six months, but Victor had never felt as he did with Yuuri. 

He hoped that it could bleed into forever. 

Yuuri gasped against his lips and Victor rolled them over, pushing Yuuri’s underwear down his hips. Yuuri raised them, and together they managed to pull the garment off fully, leaving both of them bare. 

Victor pushed up on his knees between Yuuri’s spread legs, only so he could really look at him, taking in that he was truly in his bed, naked and gorgeous, his beautiful and hard cock resting against his stomach. Victor let his hands caress down his chest, stopping to tease his nipples, Yuuri aching off the bed as he moaned. Victor loved hearing that, loved giving Yuuri pleasure and seeing his flush spill down from his cheeks down his neck. 

“Victor, Victor, yes,” Yuuri moaned, and Victor felt transfixed, letting his hands move down Yuuri’s body towards where he was hard and wanting. He placed one on the inside of Yuuri’s thigh, and then caressed slowly up and down Yuuri’s cock, wrapping his hand around it to stroke. 

“Oh, oh,” Yuuri moaned, and Victor had to lean down to claim his lips, to taste him against his mouth. 

“Yuuri,” Victor breathed against his lips, and Yuuri bit down on his lower lip, making Victor moan. “I want to be inside you.”

“Yes,” Yuuri agreed, and Victor moaned into his mouth, continuing to stroke over Yuuri’s cock as he tried to reach for the bedside table without success. He had to let go of Yuuri’s erection, an irritated huff leaving his lips as he realised it was an impossible quest, and Yuuri laughed, shaking his head as Victor came back to settle between his thighs, the lube in his hand. 

“I’m not going anywhere you know,” Yuuri said teasingly, but it still made Victor’s heart swell with affection. 

“Good.” It was the only thing Victor really managed to push out, and then opened the lube, slicking up his fingers. “You’re so beautiful, Yuuri.”

“Charmer,” Yuuri breathed, and then gasped, as Victor pushed a finger inside him. Victor hovered over him as he pumped one finger in and out of Yuuri’s hole, Yuuri’s hand coming to wrap around Victor’s arm, the other fisting in the sheets as one finger became two and then three. Victor was so hard, but he loved seeing Yuuri come apart under his fingers, to give him pleasure until he was trembling. 

“You ready?” he asked, and Yuuri nodded, pushing his legs open wider. Victor whimpered, and then pulled his fingers out of Yuuri’s hole, reaching for the lube again to slick himself up fully. 

“I want you so much, I’ve longed for you so much,” Yuuri moaned, and Victor leaned down to kiss him as he lined up, pressing the head of his cock against Yuuri’s hole. “Oh.”

“Yuuri,” Victor moaned, and then pushed in slowly, both of them moaning deeply as Victor filled Yuuri. They shared breath as Yuuri adjustend, and then together, they moved. 

Their pace was slow, but growing and they clung to each other as Victor pushed into Yuuri over and over, moaning Yuuri’s name. Yuuri was trembling under him, his legs hooked around his waist, his heels digging into the small of Victor's back as he urged him on. 

Yuuri felt like a dream around his cock, and Victor lost himself in the push and pull of their bodies, only breaking from Yuuri’s lips so he could get a good grip around his cock. 

“Oh yes, yes,” Yuuri moaned and Victor did too, trying to stroke in time with his hips. Yuuri clenched around him, and Victor’s pace picked up speed. He was so close, so close, and he couldn’t hold back now. 

“Yuuri so good, so good,” he moaned, and Yuuri did too, clenching around him again.

“Come on Victor, fill me with your come,” he breathed, and Victor had no defences to Yuuri’s dirty talk, falling over the edge as his pace became erratic. Yuuri came too, spurting come over Victor’s hand and his own chest as he clenched repeatedly around Victor’s cock, making VIctor whine form oversensitivity. 

Yuuri’s arms around his shoulders pulled him down, and then they were kissing and kissing and kissing, and continued to do so until they were smiling so widely they had to stop. 

This must truly be how it felt to be in love.

_______________________________________

Victor brought Yuuri to the rink two days later, feeling incredibly proud as he walked through the doors with his boyfriend by his side. Yura gagged, Mila cooed, and Georgi performed a poem about young love, even though he was younger than Victor. This earned him a kick in the side from Yura, and soon Yakov stormed out from the rink area, the vein in his forehead pulsating dangerously, as he asked what all the fuss was about, and ordered them all into their designated training. 

Mila and Yura scurried away to ballet, while Georgi and Victor followed Yakov into the rink, Yuuri’s arm tightly wrapped around Victor’s waist as they walked. Yakov still looked grim as they entered, but Victor ignored it for now, sitting down to lace up his skates with Yuuri by his side. 

“How does it feel, being back after the endocarditis?” Yuuri asked, a slight frown between his brows. “You’ve been careful, yes?”

“I have,” Victor admitted. “It built up slowly since I came back, mostly working on choreography for the new programs the first weeks, the ones I worked on in Hasetsu, at Minako’s.”

“I can’t wait to see them on the ice,” Yuuri said, his eyes glittering in that way they always did when he talked about Victor's skating. It boasted his ego far too much. “They’ll be beautiful.” 

“I hope,” Victor said, tightening the laces a little more. “I had wonderful inspiration,” he continued, and then leaned over to kiss Yuuri again, making his boyfriend blush. He grinned proudly as he pulled back. “The team physician sees me once a week, and we keep track of my heart. He hasn't seen anything out of the ordinary. It should be back to normal, you said so too,” Victor reminded him, and Yuuri let out a sigh, nodding.

“I know, I just- I worry,” Yuuri said with a shrug, and Victor dipped down to kiss him again, sweet and slow. 

“I love you for worrying about me,” he said, and Yuuri’s lips spread into a smile. “You don’t have to though.”

“I do,” Yuuri said with conviction. “I love you, so I worry.”

“I love you too,” Victor said, and then pushed up to take the ice. “Will you watch?”

Yuuri laughed, soft and bright. “I can never look away,” he said, and Victor’s body filled with butterflies. 

“Good, keep your eyes on me then,” he said, and then pushed out onto the ice. 

_____________________________________

“How do you feel about tomorrow?” Yuuri asked from his place on the couch, Victor’s foot in his lap, Yuuri’s own personal first aid box resting on the hotel coffee table. They had been given a suit, and Victor wasn’t sure why, but he was pretty sure Yakov hadn’t ordered it for them. 

“Pretty good, sssh,” Victor said, hissing as Yuuri badded asol on one of the wounds on his feet. “I feel like practice today could have gone a little bit better, but I think it was mostly because there were so many young skaters, they’re not as good at keeping the order.”

They were in Beijing for the Cup of China, and the first day had passed fairly smoothly. Victor didn’t feel like it was his best practice, but this was his first competition since being back. It was to be expected that he felt slightly rusty, even if to the skating world - he had only missed Worlds. The way to recovery had been much longer of course, but now he was here to give his all for one last season. 

“Makes sense,” Yuuri hummed, pulling a band aid from the box. He dried the edges of the wound with a dry compress, and then put the and aid on. “You looked really good though. That axle was beautiful.” 

“Thank you,” Victor said, having a hard time looking away from Yuuri as he continued to plaster his feet. How lucky he was to have his own nurse to tend to his scrapes and bruised. 

Yuuri had been with him for three months now, and it had been the best three months of Victor’s life. It was in the small things, having someone do things like this, of falling asleep and waking up next to each other, and spending slow Sundays together in bed, looking at movies or just holding each other close as they talked. Victor had never been this close with anyone, and as scary as it was in the fear of losing it, it was also heavenly. 

Yuuri came with him to the rink often, but he had also taken to helping Lilia a few afternoons every week at the ballet studio, and it was great to meet back home and talk about their days, walking the dogs as the sun fell below the horizon. 

Yakov had completely fallen for Yuuri’s charms at this point too, and Victor hadn’t even asked if Yuuri could come, but Yakov had suggested it. The old coach claimed that his nursing skills were good to have on the team, but Victor had seen how he sometimes smiled towards them, when he thought no one was looking. 

“What are you most nervous about then, for tomorrow?” Yuuri asked, and Victor hummed as he considered, wiggling his toes as Yuuri changed foot to wrap that as well. 

“I guess- That I’ll let you down, and myself,” Victor admitted, and Yuuri frowned. 

“You couldn’t let me down, Victor,” he said, soaking another compress in asol. “I’m so proud of you doing this season, doing what you want and love. No matter how it goes, I’m still so grateful to be a part of it.”

“Yuuri,” he said, his heart feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest. 

“I know it might not matter,” Yuuri said, looking up at him, his eyes determined. “But it means so much to me, just to be here with you, for us to share this. I love getting to see how your life has been behind the scenes. It makes me understand in another way I think.”

“I love you so much,” Victor said. He wasn’t sure how many times he had said it by now, had lost count a long time ago. It didn’t matter. It still made his heart race every time he said it, it still held such weight for him. “I’m so happy you wanted to do this with me.”

Yuuri hummed and then placed the asol soaked compress on Victor’s foot, making him hiss again. 

  
  


___________________________

“Yuuri!” Victor gasped in delight, his hands clasped in his boyfriend’s as they skated around the rink, Victor backwards and Yuuri forward. “I thought you were going to be like Bambi! You have great balance!”

“I have skated before,” Yuuri laughed, and Victor shook his head, because yeah Yuuri had said, but many ‘had skated before’ and then stepped onto the ice and could barely keep track of their feet. Yuuri could change edges smoothly, and suddenly Victor was overcome with seeing what he really could. That would mean letting go of his hands however, and that sounded like a losing deal. 

“You’re good though!” Victor protested, letting go of one of Yuuri’s hands to skate beside him instead, their blades making marks into the ice. “Wow, maybe when I retire we can do pair skating instead.”

“Stooop,” Yuuri whined, and laughed as he shook his head. “Don’t fuel my teen fantasies.”

“Maybe it’s my fantasy now,” Victor teased. “It would be lovely,” Victor said with a grin, and Yuuri shook his head aven as he smiled. 

“Everything with you is lovely,” he said, and once again Victor was taken aback by Yuuri’s words, his heart doing a summersault in his chest. 

“Charmer,” Victor said back, Yuuri laughing as he shook his head at Victor using his own words against him. 

“You want to see me do a spin?” he asked, and Victor nodded enthusiastically, letting Yuuri go as his boyfriend built some speed. 

Victor never wanted this to end, and the months seemed to be slipping through his fingers. His career was so close to end, but he wanted this to continue after he stepped off the ice after Worlds. He wanted to continue this, being with Yuuri. He could figure everything else out later. 

_________________________________

Tears streamed down Victor’s cheeks as he stood on top of the podium at the Grand Prix Final, the gold medal heavy around his neck. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried during a medal ceremony, but this one felt so much more important than it had in so long. Flashes was going off around him, but he couldn’t bring himself to look into the lenses of the cameras. His eyes were glued to Yuuri, who was standing beside Yakov by the barrier, tears streaming down his cheeks as well. 

Victor loved him so much. 

He had pushed and fought for this medal harder than he had for many before it, and still it had been easier. Yuuri had been there every step of the way, and while it had been Victor’s toughest season, it had also been the most fun one too. 

The officials gave him a flag, and then he was asked to do a victory lap around the rink. He took the known colors with shaky hands and then he stepped down on the ice, and started skating. He was aware of the other two medalists following him, but he really couldn’t focus on them. He couldn’t look away from Yuuri. 

He only made it halfway around the rink, before he had to stop, his heart pounding against his ribs as he reached the light of his life.

Yuuri’s hands rested on the barrier, and Victor leaned over it, grabbing Yuuri’s neck to pull him into a kiss. Yuuri opened up instantly, the kiss deep as their tears mixed on their cheeks. Yuuri’s hands curled around his waist tight, and Victor pulled back to look into his eyes, ready to plead to do anything for them to stay together. It was only a month until Yuuri had to go back, and Victor didn’t want to, felt like he would rather lose the air in his lungs than to be without Yuuri.

“I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be without you,” Yuuri breathed, and Victor’s stomach flipped as his entire body filled with jitters. He surged forward and kissed Yuuri again, deep and lingering. Yuuri held him just as tightly now, and while Victor was aware that the entire world was probably watching them, he didn’t care at all. 

He pushed back, and looked Yuuri in the eyes as he held his face in his hands.

“How do you feel about a Christmas wedding?” he asked, and Yuuri laughed, and kissed him again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to be able to impact continuations of other's of my fics? Check out this [twitter post](https://twitter.com/mjaoue/status/1217362304045649920?s=20).

**Author's Note:**

> The next bingo fic will be a Canon Divergence, different meeting, photoshoot smutfest fic, so if that's something you might enjoy, you can subscribe to this series and get a notif when it's published, or to my account. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
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